BAT7311

ITV Plc (ITV), owner of the U.K.’s most- watched commercial TV station, won the backing of the European Union’s highest court to block the unauthorized retransmission of its programs via the Internet.

Television broadcasters have the right to prohibit the retransmission of their shows by another company over the Internet, the EU Court of Justice said today.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/201...top-court-says

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013...live-streaming

Chiclanagir

Just reading it myself. A worrying turn of events if we are going to lose our satellite tv in the summer.

Pocaloca

They should make it easier to use iPlayer overseas then. Not everyone wants to (or is able to) hide behind an IP blocker or fork out for an iPad.

Domino

for decades radio stations have been broadcast on the short wave bands with the view of providing news and information across the world. (BBC WS is responsible for the large number of people across the world speaking English although they have never been in a classroom)
there is no comparison with television which is on frequencies that are effectively line of site.
With the advent of the internet technology is there to section up the world into countries and provide or deny access at will, charging what they will.
This may well be a turn round on the recent Sky case where a pub owner was getting her football from a Greek transmission.

whatever way you want to look at this - it is theft of intellectual property to take someone else's output and rebroadcast it without their permission and without giving them any payment for same.
I feel really sorry (not) for those who have been eagerly paying someone to steal for them and will now lose what they are not entitled to.

Chiclanagir

I am quite happy to pay. After all I pay 65 quid to Sky already so would be happy to pay for streaming the same thing.

BAT7311

the football judgement was TOTALLY because the uk goverment did not understand the word ´public´and took it to mean people in the street when they took the EU directive in 2003 and turned it into uk law allowing the ECJ to say due to that then ´non-paying´´ people in a pub were also the public and allowing them to watch and this is the important bit A SERVICE PAID FOR AND ALLOWED IN ANOTHER EU COUNTRY .nothing was nicked stolen or illegal

BAT7311

the ECJ judgement today which was between ITV/C4/C5 with BBC and UK government as observers was simple can anyone take a service owned by ITV and use it and important words again by a ´profit making company´ and give to the public .their answer was NO you cant take someone else copyright work without their ok. now it gets rubber stamped at the EHC and then round to TVCatchup and the others on the list (europa/roundhouse/DT) and cut the streams ... this is a EU ruling and the copyright ppl in madrid will act on instructions from ÍTV´ to act in their name in spain . no court cases required only against those failing to agree (10 years and unlimited fine)

Saxy

Internet TV will still be available using progs like Expat Shield, Astrill etc.
These programs are not transmitting anything, they are simply assisting people with their internet security by hiding their true location. How we use these programs is down to us!!!
Another point, is that the FilmOn company does retransmit programs, but is an American company, and is outside of European control !!!

John

Fred James

Why would they want to do that as it would involve them in hugely increased costs to buy the pan European rights for all their programmes?

Fred James

We are not talking about an expat watching a tv stream such as Filmon on his PC.

We are talking about companies that retransmit TV streams such as the many companies that are offering set top boxes for UK tv.

Saxy

We are talking about theft of copyright and the retransmitting of other companies television programs, now illegal in the EU.
Companies like TVcatchup etc. have now caught a cold!!!

The Guy

There is already a Global version of the BBC Iplayer you can subscribe to....
Although it does not offer live content, and its programme choice is a bit limited ,and is not the full service as offered on the uk version, as getting the rights for that content to be available around Europe would make it more expensive.

Only illegal if they do not have permission and pay for the content.

Makes you wonder how the Spanish Telecos that offer UK TV (some who say they comply with EU laws!) and rebroadcasters will re-act, as things do move slowly in Spain....

Fred James

Not to mention the card sharing operations!

Saxy

That is what I said 'Theft of copyright'.
Perhaps you could enlighten us of the companies that do pay for the content. Then all of those expats worried about loosing their UK TV can subscribe to those companies, and relax in peace!

Fredbargate

Is it not time you lot out there embraced the culture of the country you live in.

After all why did you flee the UK or wherever